The ongoing United States-China trade tension has prompted the relocation of data centres to emerging markets like Malaysia, benefitting other sectors across the value chain, said Moody’s Ratings vice-president and senior credit officer, Nidhi Dhruv.

She noted that this shift is expected to have a positive impact on sectors such as telecommunications, real estate, semiconductors, heating and cooling system providers, and computing equipment manufacturers.

“When we look a little bit further, mining companies that focus on future-facing commodities such as copper would also benefit from this activity,” Nidhi said during the ‘Asia Pacific (APAC) Data Centres – Rapid Expansion Offers Benefits for Property and Telco Sectors’ webinar today.

The webinar was part of Malaysia Rating Corp Bhd’s two-day Malaysian Bond and Sukuk Conference 2024: Charting the Course for Malaysia’s Economic Future, with Moody’s Ratings being the event partner.

Currently, the data centre capacity in APAC stands at over 10,500 megawatts (MW), and is expected to grow to 24,800MW by 2028, with key markets being China, Japan, Australia, India and Singapore.

From a global viewpoint, Nidhi said that data centres in APAC account for approximately 30 per cent of the worldwide capacity development planned over the next five years, requiring an estimated investment of more than US$564 billion by 2028.

“There is already a robust development pipeline of around 4,400MW under construction, which we anticipate would be completed by year-end,” she added.

On the readiness of the APAC data centre market, she said Moody’s had looked at several factors, including cloud infrastructure presence, land availability, subsea cable connectivity, data localisation requirements, and governance.

“Governments across the region have introduced a variety of policies and initiatives that directly or indirectly promote investments in local data centres.

“These measures include tax relief, subsidies, preferential electricity rates, and a reduction in import duties, and Malaysia particularly scores high on government support,” she added.

Meanwhile, Spencer Ng, Moody’s vice-president – senior credit officer for Public, Project and Infrastructure Finance, said that rapid expansion in data centres will also have a positive impact on the utility sector in the long run, given the need for additional power to meet data centre demands.

“Power grid operators will also need to invest in network expansion and strengthening to support power delivery.

“Based on the power usage efficiency ratio of 1.2 times, we expect incremental power requirement of about 5.3 gigawatts across APAC on an unconstrained basis.

“In markets where data centre operators are looking to power their facilities with green power, we could see additional investments for renewable projects as well,” he said.

On Malaysia’s renewable energy, Ng said that Moody’s expects the power requirement for data centres to double to about 500 MW in the next two years, which sounds manageable, given the current power reserve margin of about 30 per cent.

He added that these new investments will add to the substantial investments already necessary for the net zero transition, and further expansion will be crucial.

Source: Bernama

Data centre relocation to emerging markets like Malaysia a boost to multiple sectors

Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the collaboration with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla is expected to drive Malaysia to be the main green technology hub in the region.

In a discussion with the Tesla Malaysia delegation today, the minister said Tesla has reiterated its support for the local ecosystem by involving nine Malaysian companies in developing EV charging infrastructure. It will also collaborate with local higher education institutions for knowledge transfer and human capital development.

“May this joint effort continue to grow, bringing great benefits to our country’s economy, technology, and sustainable energy,“ he said on his social media after discussions with the Tesla Malaysia delegation.

Tengku Zafrul said today’s discussion focused on the progress and implementation of the Global Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) AP Scheme.

Until the end of July 2024, Tesla has successfully installed 52 units of Supercharger chargers with a capacity of 250KW, 54 units of Wall Connector AC chargers, and more than 4,500 units of home chargers in Peninsular Malaysia.

With an investment reaching US$13.5 million (RM59.06 million), Tesla has shown a strong commitment to the development of EV charging infrastructure in Malaysia.

“We also discussed the great potential of battery energy storage technology which is expected to increase energy efficiency and the stability of Malaysia’s electricity grid,“ the minister added.

Source: Bernama

Collaboration with Tesla expected to drive Malaysia to be main green technology hub in region – Tengku Zafrul

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com Inc. company, has launched the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region with plans to invest about US$6.2 billion (RM29.2 billion) in Malaysia through 2038.

In a statement issued from Seattle, the United States, the company said that starting today, developers, startups, entrepreneurs, and enterprises, as well as government, education, and non-profit organisations, will have greater choices for running their applications and serving end users from AWS data centres located in Malaysia.

“The construction and operation of the new AWS Region is estimated to add approximately US$12.1 billion (RM57.3 billion) to Malaysia’s gross domestic product and will support an average of more than 3,500 full-time equivalent jobs at external businesses annually through 2038.

“These jobs, including construction, facility maintenance, engineering, telecommunications, and others within the country’s broader economy, will be part of the AWS supply chain in Malaysia,” it said.

With the launch of the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region, AWS has 108 availability zones across 34 geographic regions, with announced plans to launch 18 more availability zones and six more AWS Regions in Mexico, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

It said the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region consists of three availability zones located far enough from each other to support customers’ business continuity but near enough to provide low latency for high availability applications that use multiple availability zones.

“Each availability zone has independent power, cooling, and physical security, and is connected through redundant, ultra-low-latency networks,” AWS said.

AWS customers focused on high availability can design their applications to run in multiple availability zones to achieve even greater fault tolerance.

“With today’s launch, AWS is proud to support Malaysia’s digital transformation and help accelerate its role as a regional hub for artificial intelligence (AI),” said AWS vice-president of infrastructure services Prasad Kalyanaraman.

Meanwhile, Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the launch of an AWS infrastructure region in Malaysia provides access to new and emerging technology for Malaysian entities and businesses of all sizes, boosting our country’s capabilities for digital innovation.

This milestone is a significant step towards fulfilling the vision of Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030 to build a highly-skilled, innovative, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable economy.

“We recognise the transformative power of digitalisation, cloud computing and AI as key drivers in Malaysia’s effort to become a manufacturing and services hub within Asia.

“As the largest investment made by an international technology company in Malaysia, the AWS infrastructure region will help ensure Malaysia remains competitive on the global stage,” he said.

AWS offers the broadest and deepest portfolio of services, including analytics, computing, database, the Internet of Things, generative AI, machine learning, mobile services, storage, and other cloud technologies.

Customers from startups and enterprises to public sector organisations and non-profits would be able to use advanced technologies from the world’s leading cloud provider to drive innovation, meet data residency preferences, achieve lower latency, and serve demand for cloud services in Malaysia and across the Asia Pacific.

Source: NST

Amazon launches AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) region, to invest over RM29 bln

SD Guthrie Bhd (KL:SDG), the world’s largest palm oil producer by acreage, said on Thursday its venture into renewable energy may begin to contribute to its earnings within the next two years.  

The company formerly known as Sime Darby Plantation Bhd is focusing on projects under the Corporate Green Power Programme, which could produce income before the end of 2025, group managing director Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha said during a virtual earnings briefing.

If the projects materialise and the company secures the assets and necessary agreements by end of this year, “2026 and 2027 are when the impact on the bottom line will be”, he said.

SD Guthrie has leased 11 sites for renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 227 megawatts through the programme. Mohamad Helmy has previously said that every megawatt requires an investment of about RM2.5 billion over the next three to five years, and deliver a return of 8% to 13%.

The company has also participated in the tender process for Large-Scale Solar 5 (LSS5) that closed for bidding on July 25, in addition to leasing its land to owning green energy projects.

SD Guthrie also aims to grow its renewable energy segment through third-party access that would allow an electricity buyer to negotiate pricing directly with a renewable energy power plant for green electricity supply.

“We are excited about this,” Mohamad Helmy said. “We can put up a solar farm wherever we have available land” that is less productive for oil palm trees, he said.

On the proposed development of a port city on Carey Island by the Selangor government, Mohamad Helmy expects the project to have a “huge impact” on SD Guthrie as the company owns about 85% of land on the island.

He did not elaborate further as the project is still pending government approvals.

At Thursday’s noon break, shares in SD Guthrie were five sen or 1.11% higher at RM4.56, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM31.54 billion.

Source: The Edge Malaysia

SD Guthrie expects renewable energy venture to contribute to earnings over next two years

Malaysia’s participation in BRICS will underscore the country’s potential as a gateway for economic activities in Asean countries, said an economist.

INCEIF University economic analyst Baharom Abdul Hamid said Malaysia is also able to take advantage of trade opportunities to increase market access, thereby attracting more investments from the BRICS countries.

He said Malaysia has applied to join BRICS, a cooperation bloc for emerging economies established in 2009 and includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China, followed by South Africa’s participation in 2010.

In January 2024, countries including Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates also joined as new members.

“When we join an economic bloc, we will enjoy some (benefits, such as) tax relief, non-tariff barriers and others.

“Brazil, for example, is one of the biggest contributors of halal meat imports to Malaysia. Therefore, Malaysia has the potential to become a major gateway for halal food from Brazil at a lower cost.

“We can use this opportunity to be a gateway not only for food sources in Malaysia but as a hub for other Asean countries’ food sources,” Baharom said during Bernama TV’s ‘Ruang Bicara’ programme yesterday.

In addition, Malaysia, one of the world’s largest semiconductor producers, has the potential to expand cooperation with China, the main producer of electric vehicles.

“We need to continue our cooperation with China as a complement to the semiconductor sector for industrial use in China. At the same time, we should also expect China to further increase investments in Malaysia,” he said.

Baharom also stressed the importance of Malaysia’s participation in BRICS to be accompanied by strategic planning, ensuring economic spillover to several sectors and industries in the country as well as maximising trade and investment potentials that benefit the domestic economy.

“We need to make sure that by joining the BRICS, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are also protected.

“We do not want there to be an overflow of foreign goods that could otherwise affect local MSMEs,” he said.

For that purpose, careful planning should be done to evaluate which sectors are suitable to be opened and which should be protected.

In the meantime, Baharom urged the government to make periodic reports with transparency and integrity to see the overall impact of BRICS membership on the national economy.

Source: Bernama

Joining BRICS will highlight Malaysia’s potential as Asean economic activity gateway

Korean investment firm GG56 Korea Ltd will invest US$1 billion (RM4.37 billion) in Forest City to develop Malaysia’s first Korean Culture Town.

This is following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Forest City’s master developer Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd (CGPV) to develop the project, which will include K-Content Production Studios, an international Cultural District and a world-class residential development.

CGPV executive director Datuk Md Othman Yusof said the MOA marked a significant milestone in the ongoing development of Forest City, further solidifying its position as a global hub for innovation, culture and sustainable growth.

“This MOA is not just a formal agreement, it reflects our shared vision for Forest City and we are thrilled to collaborate with GG56 Korea to bring these transformative projects to life.

“Together, we will build a city that stands as a testament to innovation, culture, and sustainable development,” he told reporters after the signing ceremony here on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by Md Othman on behalf of CGPV while GG56 Korea was represented by its chief executive officer and co-founder Kim Young Kun, and Chung Dong Wan, chairman of CMK Consortium, a subsidiary of GG56 Korea.

Meanwhile, Kim said the agreement provided an opportunity for the company to create something extraordinary in Forest City.

“Through our collaboration with CGPV, we aim to contribute to the city’s growth and establish it as a leading global destination,” he said.

Forest City is a visionary urban project in Johor Bahru. It is designed to be a smart, green and sustainable city that integrates residential, commercial and industrial spaces with cutting-edge technology and infrastructure.

GG56 Korea is an investment firm with a focus on high-impact projects in areas such as healthcare, entertainment, technology, and real estate.

Source: Bernama

Korean firm to invest US$1b in Forest City to develop first K-culture town

Malaysia welcomes Japan’s support and cooperation in accelerating the country’s energy transition journey to decarbonisation and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli on Wednesday.

He said the national document, the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), that aims to accelerate the energy transition was largely inspired by the inaugural Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Ministerial Meeting last year.

“We anticipate that AZEC’s contributions will be instrumental in driving forward the shift towards more sustainable and low-carbon energy solutions which are crucial for the future of our region,” he said in a joint press conference after the 2nd AZEC Ministerial Meeting here.

Rafizi said the just concluded meeting has achieved its objectives in further enhancing the existing close cooperation, particularly enhancing energy trilemma namely security, affordability and sustainability.

He highlighted that Malaysia, as an AZEC partner country, had revised its renewable energy target, setting a more ambitious goal of achieving 70 per cent installed capacity by 2050, an increase from the previous target of 40 per cent by 2035.

The Malaysian government has also initiated several key measures, including the implementation of solar projects on a wide scale, the establishment of Energy Exchange Malaysia to promote cross-border green electricity sales to neighbouring countries, the NETR flagship projects as well as 50 key initiatives which are currently on track and progressing well.

The anticipated presentation of the Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) Bill later this year will comprehensively regulate all aspects of CCUS, while the forthcoming Climate Change Bill, expected to be finalised by June 2025, will introduce critical mechanisms such as carbon pricing to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change, he said.

Meanwhile, Rafizi said Malaysia is honoured to co-host next year’s meeting with Japan in Kuala Lumpur after the recent in-principle approval from the Cabinet.

“This 2025 meeting represents not only our commitment to decarbonisation but also our dedication to establishing Malaysia as the energy hub of the region,” he added.

AZEC is launched by 11 partner countries in 2023 as a platform that seeks to further advance decarbonisation in Asia towards the goal of carbon neutrality while achieving economic growth and energy security, creating various pathways tailored to each country’s circumstances.

Source: Bernama

Malaysia Welcomes Japan’s Support In Accelerating Energy Transition — Rafizi

IJM Corp Bhd (KL:IJM) has secured two contracts with a combined value of RM561 million for the construction of data centres in Johor and an industrial manufacturing facility in Penang.

In a statement, IJM Corp said the RM508 million data centre construction project was awarded by an international data centre developer, whose name was not disclosed. The project involves the construction of two data centre buildings in Gelang Patah, Johor.

The first building is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2025 (3Q2025), while the second building is expected to be completed in 1Q2026.

The project was secured through a 50:50 joint venture between IJM Corp’s construction unit, IJM Construction Sdn Bhd, and Woh Hup Malaysia Sdn Bhd. This means IJM Corp’s share of the contract is valued at RM254 million.

Woh Hup Malaysia is a unit of Woh Hup (Private) Ltd, a Singapore-based civil engineering firm that secured its first data centre project in 2016 and has since completed six data centres in India, Indonesia, and Singapore for international developers.

Separately, IJM Construction has independently secured a RM307 million contract for the construction of a new electrical and electronics (E&E) manufacturing and warehousing facility in Batu Kawan, Penang.

The 560,000 sq ft facility, located on a 20-acre (8.09-hectare) plot within the Bandar Cassia Technology Park, is intended for a US-based company in the E&E sector.

The facility aims to support growth in the semiconductor capital equipment and healthcare device markets by developing the E&E supply chain ecosystem. Construction of the facility is set to begin this month, with completion expected by October 2025.

The two contracts have increased IJM Construction’s secured jobs year-to-date to RM1.9 billion. Including the RM6 billion outstanding order book as of March 31, the group’s total order book now stands at RM7.9 billion.

IJM Corp group chief executive officer and managing director Lee Chun Fai said that securing the contracts highlights IJM Construction’s expertise in managing complex projects on accelerated schedules, especially as specialist builders of industrial buildings, data centres, and integrated logistics centres.

“By leveraging advanced construction methods like Smart IBS (the industrialised building system) and our industry division’s pretensioned high-strength concrete spun piles, we ensure efficiency, quality and environmental responsibility. The increasing demand for data centres and E&E facilities aligns with our strategic focus, opening new avenues for growth in these critical sectors.

“Collaborating with reputable partners such as Woh Hup enhances our ability to meet industry demands and deliver reliable results,” he elaborated.

It is worth noting that IJM Corp had in June secured a contract to design and build a data centre for a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Bhd (KL:TM) in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, for RM331.7 million. The project — known as Block 2 of the Iskandar Puteri Data Centre — was secured from TM Technology Services Sdn Bhd, also via its wholly owned IJM Construction. Construction of the data centre will begin in July 2024 and is slated for completion by 3Q2025.

Source: The Edge Malaysia

IJM Corp bags RM561m contracts to build data centres and industrial manufacturing facility

The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) is looking into carbon tax implementation to encourage green investment in the country, particularly involving sectors that produce high carbon emissions.

Its minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the carrot and stick approach (reward and punishment) is crucial in ensuring transparency and a fair environment for businesses.

In term of punishment, he said all developed countries are more towards carbon tax.

“We are discussing with the Finance Ministry (MoF) and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) to see how this can be implemented.”

“In fact, this was discussed at the National Investment Council and the MoF has been given a timeline to look into this matter and they need more time to study it holistically,” he said.

For example, Tengku Zafrul said, only one sub-sector of the manufacturing sector already contributes almost 25 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.

“Of course, if we have a stick approach, we need to make sure that companies are ready to comply,” he said at a media conference after presenting the Green Investment Strategy here today.

According to Tengku Zafrul, if the carbon tax is not implemented, companies will not have much incentive to carry out investments to reduce their respective carbon emissions, as it involves higher costs.

“Businesses that investsto improve their carbon emission will definitely be incurring higher costs. So they’d be less competitive than (a business) that was not investing in reducing their carbon emission,” he added.

During the presentation, Tengku Zafrul said the Green Investment Strategy (GIS) aspires to make Malaysia a major green investment destination by 2030 based on the goal of net zero and socio-economic prosperity in the NETR and New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030.

According to him, 65 per cent of the green investments achieved in Malaysia are dominated by domestic investment and hence, the GIS is anticipated to increase the foreign investment portion.

He said the GIS anticipates to contribute RM80 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 and will create 350,000 high-skilled jobs to boost the nation’s socio-economic development.

Tengku Zafrul said the GIS will increase investment competitiveness, with Malaysia’s Global Competitiveness and Global Opportunity Index standing expected to be in the top 20 by 2030.

The GIS also aims to reduce the nation’s carbon intensity as much as 45 per cent by 2030 from 33 per cent in 2021 while gaining Grade A in the Sustainalytics Rating from Grade C, he said.

Source: NST

MITI looking at imposing carbon tax to spur green investments in the country – Tengku Zafrul

The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) aims to attract RM300 billion worth of green investments by 2030 to achieve Malaysia’s net zero emission commitments.

MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said Malaysia achieved realised green investments of about RM40 billion between 2017 and 2023.

“In the Green Investment Strategy (GIS), we plan to increase it to RM300 billion up to 2030. That is a very aggressive target but that is the target we need to achieve.

“This is a 7.5 times increase that we need, and this is in line with the National Energy Transition Roadmap, which aims to achieve RM300 billion over the next decade so that we can achieve net zero carbon emission by 2050,” he told a Green Investment Strategy media conference here today.

According to him, the Green Investment Strategy was designed, taking into account various key policies to ensure a holistic, complementary approach with no overlapping.

It complements the country’s long-term policies such as the 12th Malaysia Plan and MADANI Economic framework, setting the direction for an inclusive and sustainable economic development.

As for Budget 2025, Tengku Zafrul said local companies need Finance Ministry incentives to make that transition into green energy.

For example, factories that lack efficiency will result in more carbon emissions. They need to invest in newer technology to improve efficiency.

“ That is an investment cost. If possible, we want to look into how local companies and small and medium enterprises benefit from the incentives or lower funding to make that transition,” he added.

In terms of socio-economic growth, Tengku Zafrul said the Green Investment Strategy is expected to contribute RM80 billion to the gross development product (GDP) and create 350,000 high-skilled jobs by 2030.

Zafrul also said MITI will work with Bank Negara Malaysia to expand the criteria and scope of green financing.

“We want to enlarge the criteria as well as financing scope to make it more inclusive, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises who faced challenges meeting financing conditions,“ he added.

Source: Bernama

MITI aims to attract RM300b of green investments by 2030

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants all parties to support and play a role in achieving Malaysia’s aspirations to be among the top 20 countries in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

For that purpose, he wants researchers, developers and decision-makers to work together to develop and adopt AI-related technology responsibly and ethically.

“We (the government) have agreed to help build the national AI ecosystem, especially in terms of having a centre of excellence to facilitate AI learning and research, including creating Malaysia’s very own AI cloud computing system.

“At the same time, I also want to stress that human values, data protection and the responsible use of technology are all affected and given a new meaning by this technology,” he said in his opening speech at the International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Computing, Engineering and Education Science (InvENT 2024) at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam here today.

His speech text was read out by Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

Anwar said that despite helping to improve the quality of life, efficiency and creativity of humans, the modern and dynamic Generative AI technology also has a dark side that society needs to be aware of.

The Prime Minister said deep fake technology, for example, is capable of eroding trust in digital reality and fundamentally changing the public’s perception of reality, threatening the integrity of information and causing confusion.

As such, he said the government’s general approach is to minimise risk by identifying the risks associated with the impact of AI on society and people’s lives.

“However, at the same time, we also need policies and laws to avoid the issue of leakage in AI governance,” he said.

In his speech, Anwar also touched on the regulatory aspects where Malaysia is now actively involved in forming digital economy cooperation at the ASEAN level, including the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) in addition to the Cyber Security Bill 2024 tabled last March.

He said the Personal Data Protection Department is also in the final stage of formulating the bill to amend the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 [Act 709] in addition to the national data sharing bill, which is being formulated by the National Digital Department.

Source: Bernama

PM Anwar calls on all parties to support Malaysia’s aspiration to be top 20 AI nation

The rapid growth of data centres, particularly in the Klang Valley and Johor, is ramping up job opportunities and production as Malaysia aims to emerge as South-East Asia’s main data centre hub.

As the country is set to rake in RM3.6bil in revenue from the data centre industry next year – an increase from the RM2.09bil in 2022 – specialised jobs in engineering and management are expected to flourish.

In a recent interview, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz said the growth of data centres in Malaysia is poised to generate significant indirect job opportunities across various sectors, including manufacturing, construction and logistics.

He said data centres are fundamentally engineering-driven enterprises, with a wide range of engineering roles required during various phases, such as design, planning, site acquisition and construction.

“These roles span across civil, electrical, cooling, mechanical, fire mitigation, and physical security engineering.

“During the operational phase, additional roles will emerge in facilities and data centre management and operations to ensure smooth, sustainable operations and to address any potential issues that arise,” he added.

Mahadhir said the growing demand for the materials, components and technology required for data centre construction and maintenance would also boost the local manufacturing industry.

In recent years, several global tech giants like Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft have mooted plans to develop cloud computing infrastructure in Malaysia, with AWS looking into a long-term investment of up to US$6bil (RM26.6bil) up to the year 2037.

Earlier this month, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said RM76bil worth of data centre-related investments had been approved by the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry via the Malaysian Investment Development Authority from 2021 to March 2024.

She said the country was seeing more industry players investing in the digital economy and data centre operations.

Meanwhile, Mahadhir said data centres would also require non-technical roles in human resources, finance and project management, as well as environment, health, and safety.

“As businesses, data centres also necessitate the usual senior management roles, client services, customer training, sales and marketing, public policy, corporate affairs, and more.”

In anticipating future demand for skilled labour for data centre and related manufacturing sectors, Malaysia’s education and vocational training institutions also have a critical role to play, he said.

Collaboration with industry players is also essential to ensuring that curricula are not only up to date with industrial demand but also anticipate future trends.

“This alignment will create a talent pipeline that is well prepared to support the rapid expansion of the data centre sector,” said Mahadhir.

Source: The Star

Data hubs to bring change